According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is reportedly working on developing its own chip specifically designed to run artificial intelligence software in data centers. The Wall Street Journal reported this news on Monday, shedding light on Apple’s efforts to catch up with its competitors in the field of AI, an area where it has been perceived to lag behind.
Despite inquiries about its plans for AI, Apple has been tight-lipped. CEO Tim Cook, however, expressed optimism about the company’s prospects in generative AI and emphasized significant investments in the domain during an interview with Reuters.
Internally referred to as Project ACDC (Apple Chips in Data Center), the initiative aims to capitalize on Apple’s expertise in chip design for its server infrastructure. Although Project ACDC has been underway for several years, it remains unclear when or if the project will be officially announced.
The focus of Apple’s server chip is expected to be on running AI models for inference purposes rather than training AI models, as per the report.
Apple has yet to comment on the report when approached by Reuters.
Collaborating closely with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Apple has been working on designing and initiating production of these chips. However, it is uncertain whether both companies have reached a conclusive outcome on the matter, as per the WSJ report.